Means for producing honeycomb stock



June 30, 1970 D. HJELLINOR 3,518,151

MEANS FOR PRODUCING HONEYCOMB STOCK Filed Nov. 24, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet l IN'VEN TOR.

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United States Patent US. Cl. 156-612 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Means for severing predetermined lengths from a plurality of superimposed webs which previously have had imprinted on selected surfaces thereof spaced stripes of adhesive, said means comprising: a pair of constantly rotating feed rolls advancing said superimposed webs therebetween; a pair of intermittently rotating feed rolls receiving said webs from said constantly rotating rolls; a reciprocating cutter synchronized with said intermittently rotating rolls and acting to sever strips of predetermined width from said superimposed webs; a maga zine to receive the severed strips in stacked relationship; means movable with said cutter for pressing said strips into said magazine, and a dancer roll to remove slack from said webs between said constantly and said intermittently rotating rolls.

Honeycomb structure comprising opened up honeycomb, as shown in FIG. 6 of the accompanying drawings and is completed by applying surfacing sheets or webs to the top and bottom of the expanded structure of FIG. 6. Honeycomb stock, on the other hand, is fabricated by applying parallel but non-registering narrow stripes of adhesive to adjacent superimposed webs of paper. When the adhesive has set, the webs of the honeycomb stock literally are pulled apart and thereupon form the rather idealized structure of FIG. 6. While thus pulled apart, facing webs are adhered on opposite sides of the structure and when the adhesive has set, the result is a high volume, low density product with great strength against all manner of shock loads or other loads applied normal to the facing webs.

As used herein, the term honeycomb stock refers to a compact slab of multiple strips of paper adhered one to another by parallel stripes of adhesive, the stripes adhering one sheet to another being out of register with the stripes adhering each sheet of the adjacent pair to the next adjacent sheet on either side of the pair. The stock therefore comprises a compressed deck of pairs of sheets adhered one to another as just described.

The ultimate product results from separating the individual sheets, as previously described, which thereupon assume the form of FIG. 6 of this application. The product thereupon is completed by applying covering webs over the top and bottom of the honeycomb illustrated in FIG. 6. The result is a super board so faras compressive and impact strength normal to the covering sheets is concerned.

Now, considering the honeycomb stock, it comprises mostly superimposed strips of paper or board (as a matter of fact the caliper hovers between what is generally known as paper or board) and usually runs about 70 pounds per 3,000 square feet. The thickness, that is the heighth of the stock, in practice ranges from /z-inch to as much as 6 inches but a realistic dimension applicable to the majority of the output would be 3 inches and it is in this category that the present invention will be described.

The present invention is based on the fact that the supply rolls of 70-pound paper run about 50 inches in diameter with about a 4-inch core and therefore at all times represent a considerable moment of inertia. It is also based on the fact that 70-pound paper, although coarse by most standards, nevertheless, when superimposed, requires a good many layers to make up an inch of solid superimposed paper. It is, therefore, desirable that the machine producing the basic honeycomb stock be able to produce at a single operation the maximum number of plies. This invention will be described, therefore, with reference to four plies from four distinct supply rolls with the four plies being severed at each operative cycle of the machine but with the understanding that the invention is not limited to four plies and that the invention is applicable to either more or less than four plies.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to advance the webs, imprint the adhesive, and superimpose the webs at a constant rate while severing and superimposing strips from the combined webs by intermittent action and at the same time maintaining complete control of the webs previously imprinted and superimposed between the station of constant feed and a station of intermittent feed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an overall machine design or layout in which throughout most of the machine extreme accuracy in the elements and extreme accuracy in the placing and assembly of the elements is not needed. To this end and as will appear hereinafter, all of the webs advance at constant speed through only a single pair of positive draw rolls. Many of the other rolls in advance of the draw rolls, particularly the adhesive applicator rolls, are positively driven. Only at one point, however, is there actual positive feed. Drive on the other rolls helps the paper along and minimizes the grip and torque necessary at the single pair of draw rolls but it is not necessary to engineer the other rolls and theirdrives with micrometric accuracy. For this reason, slight inaccuracies in the driven rolls and slight differentials in their surface speeds have no adverse effect on the overall operation of the machine. It has been found that if more than a single pair of positive draw rolls are used, then there must be the utmost accuracy in synchronizing the surface speeds of such pairs of rolls and the result is greatly to increase the cost of manufacture of the machine. Nevertheless, by applying drive to non-drawing rolls, the rolls do assist progress of the paper through the machine but without requiring micrometric synchronization with the single pair of positive draw rolls.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a combination feeding and severing means for superimposed webs in which at all times adjustable and absolute control is exercised over the webs between and during severance operations.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the point end of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the side opposite that of FIG. 1, showing in part the means for adjusting the width of strip to be severed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the same side as FIG. 1, but detailing the constant speed feed rolls, the intermittent feed rolls and the tension controlling means operative intermediate the two sets of rolls;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the input side detailing the means by which the adhesive stripes are applied;

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the pattern of adhesive stripes on superimposed webs;

FIG. 6, as previously noted, is a perspective view show ing the superimposed webs expanded to honeycomb form and ready for the application of top and bottom surfacing sheets;

. As best .shown in vFIG. 7,. heflgrippingbarufl has. a

FIG. 8 is a view taken onthe line 88 of FIG. 7; and I FIG. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

, Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, paper comes to the machine from supply rolls 2, 4, 6 and 8. Paper from the first roll 2 passes over a stationary guide 10, thence downwardly and around a driven roller guide 12 and just before it reaches the roll 12, it contacts an applicator 14 which has applicator wheels 16 spaced to apply continuous, spaced stripes of adhesive. The rolls 12 and 16 are driven at approximately web speed. There is no pressure contact between the applicator roll 16 and the guide roll 12. The applicator roll 16 touches the web before it makes contact of any sort with the roll 12. There being no pressure between the applicator roll and the web, the width of the stripe imprinted on the web is controllable, which it is not when the applicator roll exerts feeding pressure.

A web from the supply roll 4 passes over an angle guide bar 18, thence to the nip of a pair of rolls 20 and 22 where it meets the web drawn from roll 2. The term nip actually is a misnomer. Rolls 20 and 22 do not actually press the webs together nor do they grip and pull the webs. From the rolls 20 and 22, the two webs pass over a guide roll 24 and as the webs leave the roll 24, the outermost surface of the web from supply roll 2 receives stripes of adhesive from applicators 26. The applicators 26 do not bear on the web to press it against the roll 24, but touch the web after the webs have left all contact with the roll 24.

Paper from supply roll 6 passes over a stationary guide 28, thence downwardly under a live roll 30 and upwardly to a live roll 32. Just ahead of live roll 32 an applicator roll 34 supplies spaced stripes of adhesive to the web which proceeds thence to a live roll 36, preceded by an applicator roll 38.

Paper from supply roll 8 draws directly to roll 30 where it is briefly in contact with the web from roll 6. From roll 30 the web from roll 8 passes upwardly and over a roll which also receives the web from roll 6 and superimposes the webs from rolls 6 and 8.

From roll 40 the superimposed webs and supply rolls 6 and 8 travel to the nip of constantly driven feed rolls 42 and 44 where they are joined to the webs from supply rolls 2 and 4 as they descend from the assembly roller 24.

From the constant speed rolls 42 and 44, the four combined webs descend to the nip of intermittently operated feed rolls 46 and 48. As will presently appear, the rolls 46 and 48 are timed to advance precisely the length of web which it is desired to sever to form part of the honeycomb stock.

Since the rolls 42 and 44 operate at constant speed and the rolls 46 and 48 operate intermittently with a considerable dwell between advancing movement there ordinarily would be generated a portion of slack between the two sets of rolls. In machines in which even a single web of paper is advanced, generation of slack is detrimental. As used herein, slack has its dictonary connotation of an absence of tension. Whenever this occurs, control of the Web is lost. As the result of such loss of control, inaccuracies of presentation or registration may occur, and the output of waste product increases as a percent of total output. In order to prevent any relaxation of tension on the web, a dancer 50 is provided. This consists of rollers52 on a shaft 54 which is mounted in brackets 56 biased to absorb slack by springs 58 and guided by studs 60 running in guides 62.

The means by which consecutive lengths of webs are severed and stacked is best shown in FIGS. 3, 7 and 8. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 9, the intermittently moving feed rolls 46 and 48 are mounted in front of a fixed knife supporting frame 64 to which a fixed shear blade 66 is secured. A series of brackets 68 are secured to a projecting flange of the member 64 and each carries an adjustable stud 70 to which a gripping bar 72 is secured.

slight dihedral from the ends toward the center.

A reciprocable ram 74 (FIGS. 3 and 9) carries a movable knife blade 76. The blade 76 has a straight edge with no attemptat dihedral. 1

Secured to the back of the ram 74 are a series of supports 78 through each of which passes a rod 80 and the rods 80 all are secured to a gripping bar 82 which extends the width of the machine and has a dihedral surface to mate with that of the pressure bar 72. The bar 82 is biased in the direction of the gripper bar 72 by springs 84 acting between the bar 82 and the supports 78.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3, 8' and 9, it will be noted that plate 86 is spaced below the fixed blade 66 and terminates at its forward edge in a series of fingers 88. These fingers 88 pass through spaces between a series of plates 90 secured to the reciprocating knife carrier 74. This not only accommodates the reciprocation of the carrier 74 but also permits vertical adjustability of the plate 86 which after all deter-mines the thickness of the deck 92 of honeycomb stock to be progressively accommodated by the machine. The width of the severed strips is dependent entirely on the advance of the intermittent rolls. Vertical adjustment of the table on to which the strips are fed and brought into superimposed relationship is important only to provide proper accommodate for the severed strips and this adjustment, per se, has no effect whatever on determining the width of the strip severed.

When, as viewed in FIG. 9, the ram 74 advances from its full line position to its dotted line position, the knife 76 coacts with knife 66 to sever a four-ply strip from the advancing webs and the bars 90 act to push this in between the knife 66 and the plate 86 to join it to the already accumulated honeycomb stock 92. At this point, the outermost or right-hand 'web of the strip that is severed carries stripes of wet adhesive which are pressed against a non-coated surface of previously severed strips forming an engagement with the entire mass 92 (FIG. 3).

The drive for the parts thus far described will now be outlined with particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. A motor drives a four-speed gear box 102 through a belt 104. At the output end of the gear box 102 a pulley 103, through a belt 106, drives a shaft 108. On the shaft 108 is a pinion 110 meshing with a gear 112 on a crankshaft 114. The shaft 114 has a pair of cranks 11 6 which by means of connecting rods 118 reciprocate the ram 76. At its opposite end (FIG. 2) the shaft 114 carries a crank arm 120 which has a radially adjustable eccentric pin 122, for a purpose to be presently described.

The shaft 108 which carries the pinion 110 also carries one end 124 of a positive variable drive 126, the other end 128 of which is mounted on a shaft 130 which at its opposite end carries a sprocket 132 which through a chain 134 drives another sprocket 136 mounted on a stub shaft 138. The stub shaft 138 carries at its opposite end a sprocket 140 which through a chain 142 drives a sprocket 144 on a shaft 146. The shaft 146 carries a sprocket 148 which engages a chain 150.

The chain 150 engages a sprocket 154, thence goes to a sprocket 156, thence to a sprocket 158 and to a sprocket 160, thence back to the sprocket 148 on the shaft 146. This arrangement is best shown in FIG. 2.

The sprocket 154 drives the roll 20 which may thus be placed in the general organization by reference to FIG. 4. At its opposite end the roll 20 has mounted a gear 162 meshing with a similar gear 164 on roll 22. At its opposite end (FIG. 2) the roll 22 carries a sprocket 166 which drives a chain 168 which engages a sprocket 17,0, mounted at one end of roll 24. Adjacent'the sprocket 170 on the sameaxis is anadditional sprocket 172 driving a chain 174 to engage a sprocket 176 which drives the roll 42.

Returning now, to FIG. .2 and the crank 120 including theadjustable crank throw 122: the throw 122 is secured to one end of a sprocket chain 200 which engages a sprocket wheel 202 and has its opposite ends secured to a tension spring 204. Sprocket wheel 202 engages a one-way clutch 206 which drives a shaft on which is mounted one of the intermittent feed rolls 4648. As the crank 120 rotates counterclockwise (FIG. 2) toward the side of FIG. 2, it draws the chain 200 over the sprocket 202 and rotates the feed rolls 46-48. As the crank continues rotating and moves toward the left-hand side of FIG. 2, the spring 204 draws the chain 200 backward, reversing the direction of the sprocket 202 but not of the one-way clutch 206 and therefore not of the feed rolls 46-48. The exact amount of feeding motion of the rolls 46-48, therefore, is dependent on the throw, that is the adjustment of the throw 122 and this may be adjusted to accommodate from one-half inch to as much as six inches of feed by the rolls 46-48.

The sprockets 154, 156, 158, 160, etc., all drive various of the rollers heretofore discussed and so far as such rollers are in sets as in adhesive applicators, etc., spur gears or spur gear trains are used to derive motion from the particular roll driven by the particular sprocket. Since all of this represents conventional exercise of conventional engineering talent, it is deemed unnecessary to go into details in this particular disclosure. It is to be emphasized, however, that in all cases when an applicator roll deposits its stripe of adhesive on the web, the adhesive meets the web at a point where the web is not directly supported by any other roll in the system. As a result, although most of the rolls are driven, they do not, per se, contribute a feeding effect but rather act to reduce the tension necessarily applicable by positive feed rolls 42 and 44, best seen in FIG. 4. As a matter of fact, the entire adhesive applicator units could be removed from the machine without altering in the slightest the feeding of the several webs.

FIGS. 5 and 6 will now be described briefly in order to complete the disclosure. In FIG. 5, 300 represents a plurality of superimposed webs which will be severed along lines 302 into strips for assembly in the machine. Shaded lines 304 represent stripes of adhesive on the outermost sheet and dotted lines 306 represent lines of adhesive on the sheet below the outermost sheet. T hroughout the pack, all of the lines 304 register with similar lines on other sheets, and the same is true of lines 306. When the pack thus formed by cutting along lines 302 and stacking the cut sheets is opened, FIG. 6 represents the resultant product. This has been conventional practice in the manufacture of honeycomb stock for a great many years.

While certain specific structures and arrangements have been disclosed herein, it is not intended to limit this invention to the precise details of construction illustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing honeycomb stock comprising: a plurality of at least three web supply rolls; a single continuously operating means for receiving and drawing webs from all of said supply rolls in mutually superimposed and laminated condition; means intermediate said supply rolls and said drawing means for applying continuous strips of adhesive material to selected sur faces of selected webs; intermittently operating feed means receiving the laminated webs from said Web drawing means to advance said webs step by step; means receiving said webs from said intermittent feed means for severing strips of predetermined width from said webs and for thrusting the severed strip into a pack of previously severed strips; and resilient means intermediate said web drawing means and said intermittent feed means for thrusting the combined webs out of the plane of advance to maintain said webs in laminated] contact and to maintain tension on the webs between said drawing rolls and said intermittent feed rolls.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including means to adjust the amount fed by said intermittent feed means.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including means associated with said severing means for clamping said webs immobile during the operation of said severing means.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said tensioning means is resiliently slidable across the path of the webs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,242,024 3/1966 Bova et al 156-548 X 3,257,262 6/1966 Epstein 156-291 X 3,413,177 11/1968 Hoyt 156548 X 3,416,983 12/1968 Steele 156-512 X BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner 

